Comedy Comparison

These shows are both very different comedies, in completely different settings and eras yet they share basic aspects. They both contain misrule in the main plot of the show as they follow the structure, where a problem arises in the middle of the programme, along with the misrule comes chaos and conflict.
The conflict in modern family comes when Claire feels smothered by Phil then they compete in a running race, Jay and Gloria disagree over culture and Mannys sense of style, and Cameron and Mitchell argue over parenting techniques. Conflict takes a different turn in Blackadder where the conflict is between Prince George and the duke of wellington, due to the Prince spending the night with the duke’s nieces, this results in the use of slapstick or physical comedy.
In Blackadder there is very obvious role reversal, when Blackadder, the servant, pretends to be the Prince then proceeds to treat the Prince disrespectfully. There is slapstick comedy in this situation as the Duke beats the Prince for not being a competent servant, Blackadder then ‘demonstrates’ how hard the Duke had hit him by punching him in the face, making this into a very funny and memorable sketch. During the duel, Blackadder is hit by a cannonball but survives; the Prince is also hit and is shown to die. The only parts of Modern Family that contain physical comedy is when Mitchell is dancing and bumps Lilys head on the ceiling and at the very end when Haley hits Phil with her car which ties together the issues presented in the Dunphy household at the beginning on the programme.   These situations are funny because they would be relatively serious in our lives but due to the way they are presented by the character and the script.
In both the shows there are comic pairings that make the situations that arise in the script. In Modern Family, the three couples in the show are all comedy pairs; they all bicker and have their own issues as well as those of the individual family units and the extended...